Jobs / Architecture and engineering / 17-2171.00
Petroleum Engineers
Devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Oversee drilling and offer technical advice.
- US jobs
- 18,060
- Median wage
- $144,910 a year
- Job family
- Architecture and engineering
Can agents do the work of petroleum engineers?
We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Architecture and engineering:
- Task levelUnexploredNo task-level benchmark in our collection tests architecture or engineering design work, such as CAD modeling or engineering calculations.
- Project levelNot yetWhole projects are mostly out of reach. The Remote Labor Index includes 3D, CAD, and architecture projects; across all its projects, the best agent completed 15.8% to a standard a client would accept. GDPval includes mechanical engineers, and its deliverables score higher, but those tasks are one-shot and fully specified.
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in architecture and engineering, not always this occupation's tasks.
- 1846 EloClaude Opus 5.5 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort, Default Fallback) · 23 Sep 2026Unrated
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
- Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
- Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
- Analyze data to recommend placement of wells and supplementary processes to enhance production.
- Assist engineering and other personnel to solve operating problems.
- Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing, or well surveys.
- Develop plans for oil and gas field drilling, and for product recovery and treatment.
- Assess costs and estimate the production capabilities and economic value of oil and gas wells, to evaluate the economic viability of potential drilling sites.
- Confer with scientific, engineering, and technical personnel to resolve design, research, and testing problems.
- Interpret drilling and testing information for personnel.
- Coordinate activities of workers engaged in research, planning, and development.
- Write technical reports for engineering and management personnel.
Other job titles for this occupation (35)
Completion Engineer · Drilling Engineer · Engineer · Operations Engineer · Petroleum Engineer · Petroleum Production Engineer · Project Production Engineer · Project Reservoir Engineer · Reservoir Engineer · Reservoir Engineering Consultant · Certification Engineer · Completions Engineer · Design Engineer · Exploration Engineer · Gas Distribution Engineer · Gas Engineer · Gas Turbine Engineer · Logging Engineer · Mining and Oil Field Equipment Design Engineer · Mining and Oil Field Equipment Test Engineer · Mining and Oil Well Equipment Research Engineer · Mud Engineer · Natural Gas Analyst · Natural Gas Engineer · Oil and Gas Engineer · Oil Drilling Engineer · Oil Exploration Engineer · Oil Well Engineer · Petroleum Supply Specialist · Pipeline Engineer · Prospecting Observer · Research Engineer · Supplier Quality Engineer (SQE) · Test Engineer · Well Surveying Engineer